Offbeat Traveler: Unromantic places around the world

CaptionMusee des Egouts de Paris, France

Chris Yunker

Aside from the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, often called the City of Romance, is also home to the Musee des Egouts de Paris, or Paris Sewer Museum. Museum visitors can tour part of Paris' extensive underground sewer system. This stretch, fortunately, is protected...

Aside from the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, often called the City of Romance, is also home to the Musee des Egouts de Paris, or Paris Sewer Museum. Museum visitors can tour part of Paris' extensive underground sewer system. This stretch, fortunately, is protected... (Chris Yunker)

View Larger Map Skull Rock, which was carved by erosion, stands along Loop Road about 10 miles south of Joshua Tree's north entrance in Twentynine Palms. Imagine trying to cuddle at the base of this formation. Think of those eye sockets staring out at you. Even amid the park's stark beauty, you...

View Larger Map Skull Rock, which was carved by erosion, stands along Loop Road about 10 miles south of Joshua Tree's north entrance in Twentynine Palms. Imagine trying to cuddle at the base of this formation. Think of those eye sockets staring out at you. Even amid the park's stark beauty, you...

Ordinarily, Seville, capital of the Andalucia region in southern Spain, is quite romantic with picturesque plazas, palaces, museums and eclectic architecture. A recent garbage strike, however, left the city under 7,000 tons of trash. The strike ended on Thursday and a cleanup is underway, but...

Ordinarily, Seville, capital of the Andalucia region in southern Spain, is quite romantic with picturesque plazas, palaces, museums and eclectic architecture. A recent garbage strike, however, left the city under 7,000 tons of trash. The strike ended on Thursday and a cleanup is underway, but... (Raul Caro / EPA)

This 15th century castle, nestled in southern Ireland about 150 miles southwest of Dublin, would be considered romantic if it weren't for its most popular attraction, the Blarney Stone. According to legend, the stone grants eloquence to those who kiss it. So statesmen and tourists alike have...

This 15th century castle, nestled in southern Ireland about 150 miles southwest of Dublin, would be considered romantic if it weren't for its most popular attraction, the Blarney Stone. According to legend, the stone grants eloquence to those who kiss it. So statesmen and tourists alike have... (WLIW New York)

This group of islands in Indonesia is the only place in the world where you'll find Komodo dragons, the world's largest extant lizard species, in the wild. They grow to about 10 feet and they're as close as you'll get to living dinosaurs. Oh, they're also nimble and venomous. Even less romantic...

This group of islands in Indonesia is the only place in the world where you'll find Komodo dragons, the world's largest extant lizard species, in the wild. They grow to about 10 feet and they're as close as you'll get to living dinosaurs. Oh, they're also nimble and venomous. Even less romantic... (Romeo Gacad / AFP / Getty Images)

Tired of thinking about romantic places to go for Valentine's Day? Here are some unromantic locales to take your mind off of love, including a sewer museum, a park filled with giant lizards and an attraction sometimes referred to as the "Gates of Hell." If you're not worn out by Cupid's arrows,...